Woman’s Weekly UK – 06 August 2019

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GET IN

TOUCH

Bertie,the

schnauzer,

enjoyinga

lovelydayout.

FreyaMerritt-

Webb, Gloucester

Hereisa pictureofmydogandcat,

PennyandPixie.They’regreat

friendsandtrulypartofthefamily.

Jill Duckett, Bexhill-on-Sea

Paws for

thought

AdrienneWildoffersadviceonall

your thorny horticultural issues

GARDENERS’

questions

womansweekly.com 5

Q

We’dlove

tocreatea

Sissinghurst-

inspiredwhitegarden.

Whatdoyousuggest?

A

Whiteflowers

area wonderful

waytobrightenup

a garden.Theycanbequite

graceful,butneeda dark

greenbackdroptocontrast

sharplywiththewhite

themeandhelpwhite

flowersstandout.Grow

fragrantjasminesonwalls,

plantrosessuchasthe

recentintroductionWilliam

andCatherine,andpack

inplentyof annualssuch

ascosmosandnicotiana,

whichcanbegrown

fromseed.Formaximum

interest, make the most of

ground-coverplants

withsilver,blue-toned

andvariegatedleaves

andwhitestems,as

wellasblooms.

Q

Whyhavesome

flowersonmyrose

bushesfailedto

openproperly?Theyhave

remained on the plant,

butnoticeablygone

dryandturnedbrown.

A

It’sa condition

knownasroseballing

thatusuallyhappens

whendampweather

persistsfollowedbydry,

sunnyspells,causingthe

budstorotoff.Theplant’s

healthwon’tbeaffected

• justcutoutthedamaged
  blooms,especiallybefore
  anysecondaryinfection
  suchasgreymould sets in.

Q

Irecentlybought

Melianthusmajor

from a garden

show.Doesit require

anyspecialtreatment?

A

Thiswonderful,

bold,‘architectural’

planthasexotic-

lookingblue-greenfoliage

withserratededgesand

is capableofgrowingup

to2.4mtall.Inveryhot

summers,it willproducea

redflowerspike,provided

thatit’sgrowingina

shelteredsunnysiteand

well-drained,fertile,moist

soil.It’snotreliablyhardy,

butwillthriveinmild

partsofthecountryif

protected in winter.

Thisismy

daughter’s

elderlyex-battery

hen,Pandora,

sharingher

cheeseandgrapes

withfriendly

MrBlackbird!

WendyLander,

Cotswolds

Melianthus major

SissinghurstCastle’s

white garden

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